Hybrid Cloud PBX

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a system for telephones by providing an improved and streamlined user experience and enhanced fail over mechanisms. A decentralized system managed through a web site which allows for continued operation even when the primary systems fail includes a mechanism for restoring the primary systems automatically when they become available again. Phones connect to two PBX systems at the same time, one local and one at a remote location. The two PBX systems synchronize configuration data and media files between them. The website can also be used to manage any number of systems allowing any size organization to manage every phone system in their organization from a single interface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Utility Patent application Ser.No. 16/385,705 for a “Hybrid Cloud PBX,” filed Apr. 16, 2019, andcurrently-copending, which in turn claims the benefit of priority toU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/658,405 filed Apr. 16,2018, titled “Hybrid Cloud PBX.” The entirety of the aforementionedrelated applications is fully incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to private branch exchanges.More particularly, the present invention pertains to a redundant privatebranch exchange configured to provide telephone service in the event theprimary private branch exchange becomes inoperative. The Presentinvention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as highlyreliable business telephone system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Alexander Graham Bell is generally credited with the invention of thetelephone in the late 1800s. Originally, a pair of telephones would bedirectly connected to each other. However, the ability to call only asingle other party quickly proved too limiting, and switching systemswere developed to build out early telephone networks. Originally,switching systems used manual switchboards. The caller would tell theswitchboard operator who he or she wanted to call, and the operatorwould manually complete the circuit between the two parties. Automaticswitching systems, which eliminated the need for interacting with aswitchboard operator, were developed shortly thereafter. The automaticswitching systems used patterns of pulses, and later sequences of DTMFtones, in order to determine the party being called.

Businesses and other organizations often employ their own switchingsystem, known as a private branch exchange (“PBX”). A PBX allows theshared use of lines connecting the organization to the public switchedtelephone network (“PSTN”) between the organization's telephones.Generally, the telephones in the PBX may also call each other withoutthe use of the lines connecting the PBX to the PSTN.

Technological developments were incorporated into telephone networksover time, including fiber-optic cables, satellite communications, andpacket-switching. Voice over IP (“VoIP”) allows calls between anInternet-connected endpoint and an endpoint on a traditional PSTN. VoIPhas greatly reduced the cost of telephone service for many of its users,but the reduction in cost has come with a reduction in reliability. VoIPrequires a reliable Internet connection and mains power, to mention twopoints of failure.

VoIP technology has made inroads not only among consumers, but also inthe business world: Many organizations have replaced their traditionalPBX with a PBX that operates over a VoIP service rather than a PSTN. Thelower cost of a VoIP-based PBX has also brought the PBX within reach ofsmaller businesses that previously could not afford the high costs of atraditional PBX.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is a hybrid onsite and cloud PBX providing enhanced failovermechanisms. A decentralized system managed through a web site allows forcontinued operation even when the primary systems fail. Phones connectto two PBX systems at the same time, one local and one at a remotelocation. The two PBX systems synchronize configuration data and mediafiles between them.

The website can also be used to manage any number of systems allowingany size organization to manage every phone system in their organizationfrom a single interface. In a preferred embodiment, the websiteinterface manages all the PBX systems of an organization as a singlelarger system.

During normal operation, inbound and outbound calls are routed throughthe local PBX, which in turn is connected to a VoIP gateway. In theevent of a failure of Internet service, the local PBX connects directlyto the PSTN to forward and receive calls. The remote PBX can still runmenus and voicemails, and forward calls to mobile phones for extensionsso configured without going through the onsite PBX in order to save PSTNlines. As a last resort, an incoming call is forwarded to the local PBXover the PSTN. When the local PBX is offline, the remote PBX handlesinbound and outbound calls.

An additional feature of the hybrid PBX is that the website may be usedto forward calls to a particular extension to an external device, suchas a mobile phone. Since the configuration of both the local PBX and theremote PBX may be managed through the website, calls may be forwarded toa mobile phone even when the local PBX is not functioning. In mostcases, the remote PBX will be configured to automatically forward to themobile phones associated with extensions when the local PBX isnon-operative.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself,both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood fromthe accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdescription, in which similar reference characters refer to similarparts, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a business telephone system using a PBX;

FIG. 2 illustrates a business telephone system using a VoIP-based PBX;

FIG. 3 illustrates the relation between a hybrid cloud PBX of thepresent invention and the various networks and entities it interactswith;

FIG. 4 illustrates the flow of telephone calls through the hybrid cloudPBX under normal circumstances;

FIG. 5 illustrates the flow of telephone calls through the hybrid cloudPBX when Internet access is unavailable onsite;

FIG. 6 illustrates the flow of telephone calls through the hybrid cloudPBX in the event of a failure of the onsite PBX or when the onsite PBXis otherwise not operative;

FIG. 7 illustrates the connection of analog extensions to the onsite andremote PBX using analog telephone adapters;

FIG. 8 illustrates the connection of analog extensions to the onsite andremote PBX using an intermediate analog PBX;

FIG. 9 illustrates a hybrid cloud PBX with multiple onsite PBXsconnected to a single backup PBX;

FIG. 10 illustrates a hybrid cloud PBX with multiple onsite PBXs inwhich each onsite PBX acts as a remote backup PBX to the other onsitePBXs;

FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of a preferred embodiment of the call flowthrough a hybrid PBX;

FIG. 12 illustrates another potion of a preferred embodiment of the callflow through a hybrid PBX;

FIG. 13 illustrates the route call loop used in a preferred embodimentof the call flow through a hybrid PBX;

FIG. 14 illustrates administrator user interface elements for managing ahybrid cloud PBX through a website;

FIG. 15 illustrates administrator user interface elements for managingan extension in a hybrid cloud PBX through the website;

FIG. 16 illustrates administrator user interface elements for setting anaddress for 911 calls from a hybrid cloud PBX through the website;

FIG. 17 illustrates user interface elements for configuring a user'saccount in a hybrid cloud PBX through the website; and

FIG. 18 illustrates user interface elements allowing a user to manage anextension in a hybrid cloud PBX through the website.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a prior art business telephone system isshown and generally designated 10. Telephone system 10 comprises a PBX12 with multiple extensions 14. Extensions 14 may include telephones,fax machines, and other devices which connect to the telephone network.Lines 16 between the PBX 12 and the PSTN 18 are shared between theextensions 14. Since all extensions 14 will not generally be makingoutgoing calls at the same time, there are usually fewer lines 16connecting the PBX 12 to the PSTN 18 than there are extensions 14 in thePBX 12. Thus one purpose of the PBX 12 is to allow efficient use of asmall number of lines 16 between a larger number of users (representedby extensions 14). Moreover, a call from one extension 14 to anotherextension 14 is routed by the PBX 12 without the necessity of occupyinga line 16, allowing for interoffice telephone calls without using theresources of the PSTN 18.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a prior art VoIP business telephone system isshown and generally designated 20. Telephone system 20 comprises a PBX22 with multiple extensions 24. PBX 22 connects to a VoIP gateway 26,which provides PBX 22 with a connection to the PSTN 28. The extensions24 of PBX 22 may include telephones, fax machines, and other deviceswhich connect to the telephone network. Standard telephones, faxmachines, and other devices may be used, or telephones, fax machines,and other devices specifically designed for VoIP may be used and mayprovide access to special features provided by the PBX.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a hybrid cloud PBX is shown, comprising anon-site private branch exchange (commonly and hereinafter referred to asa “PBX”) 110 and a remote PBX 112. Onsite PBX 110 and remote PBX 112 areidentical or substantially similar, sharing the same configurationparameters and differing at most in some hardware elements. For example,the onsite PBX 110 may have hardware for connecting directly toextensions that use RJ11 jacks). Also, in preferred embodiments, onsitePBX 110 is capable of operating its external lines through a publicswitched telephone network (commonly and hereinafter referred to as a“PSTN”) 114 and through a VoIP provider 116. A number of phones 118connect to both onsite PBX 110 and remote PBX 112. Onsite PBX 110 andremote PBX 112 each maintain a copy of database 120 comprisingconfiguration information for the hybrid cloud PBX.

Configuration of the hybrid cloud PBX is performed through a web site130, which may be hosted on a cloud platform. Administrators 132 use thewebsite 130 to perform configuration tasks such as adding or removingextensions. Users 134 perform configuration tasks related to theirassigned extension, such as setting voicemail options or prompts. Thewebsite 130 provides configuration changes over the Internet to theonsite PBX 110 and the remote PBX 112.

For simplicity in description, the extensions of the hybrid PBX arerepresented as phones 118 in FIGS. 3 through 6. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the extensions may alsoconnect other devices, such as fax machines, modems, or any deviceconfigured for operation in conjunction with the telephone network.

Although a single onsite PBX 110 and a single remote PBX 112 aredescribed herein for simplicity, it is fully contemplated that multipleonsite PBXs 110, multiple remote PBXs 112, or multiple of both may beused depending on the needs and circumstances of the organization, suchas for additional redundancy or to service multiple sites. Moreover,preferred embodiments use multiple websites 130 for redundancy andtraffic balancing.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the normal call flow through the hybrid cloudPBX is illustrated. An inbound call comes through a PSTN 114 to VoIPprovider 116, and from VoIP provider 116 to onsite PBX 110, from wherethe call is routed to the desired phone 118. An outbound call takes theopposite route: from a phone 118, it connects to the onsite PBX 110, andfrom there to VoIP provider 116, to the PSTN 114, and ultimately to itsdestination.

Referring now to FIG. 5, when the onsite Internet connection isinterrupted, phones 118 are unable to connect to the remote PBX 112, andthe onsite PBX 110 cannot connect directly to the VoIP provider 116.When VoIP provider 116 cannot connect to the onsite PBX 110, an incomingcall is directed from the VoIP provider 116 to Remote PBX 112. RemotePBX 112, unable to connect to extensions 118, directs the calls to thePSTN 114 to which the onsite PBX 110 is connected. The call is routedfrom PSTN 114 through onsite PBX 110 to a phone 118. An outgoing callfrom a phone 118 is routed by onsite PBX 110 to PSTN 114 and on to itsdestination. In order to limit costs, a fewer number of lines fromonsite PBX 110 directly to PSTN 114 may be available than the number oflines from onsite PBX 110 to VoIP provider 116; in such circumstances, afewer number of calls may take place during an Internet outage, so theorganization may decide to limit outgoing calls during the outage inorder to keep lines open for calls to emergency services.

Without onsite Internet access, changes made through the website 130cannot be propagated directly and immediately to the onsite PBX 110,although the changes would be propagated to remote PBX 112. Theconfiguration changes would later be synchronized with onsite PBX 110when the onsite Internet connection is restored.

In an alternative embodiment, the remote cloud PBX 112 will communicateconfiguration changes received from website 130 to the offline onsitePBX 110 through the PSTN 114. In this way, configuration changes may beapplied even when the onsite Internet connection is interrupted,although there may be some delay in the application of the changes dueto the necessity of communicating them to the onsite PBX 110 over thestandard telephone network, PSTN 114.

Referring now to FIG. 6, when the onsite PBX 110 is offline, calls arerouted through the remote PBX 112, allowing phone service to continueuninterrupted. An incoming call is directed from the VoIP provider 116to the remote PBX 112, which in turn directs the call over the Internetto a phone 118. An outgoing call from a phone 118 is routed over theInternet to remote PBX 112, and from there to VoIP provider 116, to PSTN114, and ultimately to its destination.

A device configured for use with traditional (or “analog”) telephoneservice requires a foreign exchange station (“FXS”), that is, an RJ11jack through which is provided power, a dial tone, and traditional linesignaling protocols. In an embodiment, onsite PBX 110 differs fromremote PBX 112 in that FXS ports are provided by onsite PBX 110 foranalog devices, including analog telephones and analog fax machines. Inthis way, analog extensions may connect to the business telephonesystem, but do not benefit from automatic rollover to the remote PBX 112when the onsite PBX 110 is inoperative.

As shown in FIG. 7, the benefits of the hybrid PBX may be enjoyed by ananalog extension 140 through the use of an analog telephone adapter(“ATA”) 142. Each analog extension 140 is connected to an ATA 142, whichprovides an RJ11 jack, DC power, and traditional line signaling to theanalog extension 140, and connects to the onsite PBX 110 and the remotePBX 112 using traditional Internet protocols. In conjunction with an ATA142, an analog extension 140 interacts with the onsite PBX 110 andremote PBX 112 much the same as any other extension 118, and enjoys thebenefits of automatic rollover of service to remote PBX 112 when onsitePBX 110 in not operating.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in certain circumstances, such as when thereare many analog extensions 140, it may be desirable to use anintermediate PBX 144 to connect analog extensions 140 to the onsite PBX110 and the remote PBX 112. Intermediate PBX 144 provides FXS ports forthe analog extensions 140, while VoIP-enabled extensions 118 connectdirectly to the onsite PBX 110 and the remote PBX 112. In a preferredembodiment, intermediate PBX 144 differs from traditional PBX setups inthat it provides a one-to-one ratio of analog extensions 140 to“external” lines to each of the onsite PBX 110 and the remote PBX 112,allowing analog extensions 140 to act transparently as if they wereindividual extension to the onsite PBX 110 and the remote PBX 112, justlike extensions 118.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an organization may have multiple offices indistinct locations. A remote PBX 112 can serve as a backup to severalonsite PBXs 110 in different locations. In a preferred embodiment,remote PBX 112 runs on a cloud platform, allowing each extension 118 ineach location to connect to it through the Internet, as well as allowingeach onsite PBX 110 to synchronize with it over the Internet. In apreferred embodiment, each onsite PBX 110 will have a connection to VoIPprovider 116, and from the perspective of the onsite PBX 110, the restof the hybrid PBX will appear and function as described in connectionwith FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a configuration of a preferred embodiment ofthe hybrid cloud PBX is shown, in which each onsite PBX 110 acts as aremote PBX 112 for other onsite PBXs 110 in other locations. An onsitePBX 110 has a connection to VoIP provider 116, to PSTN 114, or to both.Databases 120 are synchronized between the onsite PBXs 110. When oneonsite PBX 110 is inoperative, the extensions 118 at that location makeand receive calls through another onsite PBX 110 just as if the otheronsite PBX 110 were a remote PBX 112.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate a method for routing calls used in a preferredembodiment of the hybrid PBX. Failover between an onsite PBX 110 and aremote PBX 112 can operate by using a floating IP address or anintermediary proxy server which directs messages to onsite PBX 110 whenavailable and remote PBX 112 otherwise. Nonetheless, failover and loadbalancing can be performed by implementing the hybrid PBX as a meshnetwork. Operation as a mesh network allows calls to be routed between aprimary PBX and its backups without introducing any new potential pointsof failure. The mesh network can be implemented primarily in theapplication layer of an existing network, such as the Internet, whichallows the hybrid PBX to operate primarily over the existing network,but gives it the flexibility to include nodes on other networks. OnsitePBXs 110 and remote PBXs 112 operate as nodes on the mesh network, and anode may complete a call itself, pass it on to a PSTN or VoIP provider,or pass it to a neighboring node.

To accomplish the goals of the mesh network, mesh call control headers(hereinafter “mesh headers”) are used. In a preferred embodiment, SIPheaders are used to implement the mesh headers. Alternative embodimentsuse other call control protocols. Among the mesh headers are a globallyunique ID (“Mesh ID”), a destination header (“MeshDst”) to specify whichnode should handle the call, and a hop count (“MeshHop”) to preventendless traversal of the whole mesh network while passing calls betweennodes.

As shown in FIG. 11, the call flow begins with a call 200 arriving at anode, which may originate from an extension 118, a VoIP provider 116,the PSTN 114, or another node. Upon receipt of the call, the nodedetermines 210 whether mesh headers exist.

If there are no mesh headers for the call, the node looks up 220 routingdata for the number being called in database 120. Based on the routingdata, the node determines 222 whether the called number is within themesh network. If not, the node attempts 224 to make the call to VoIPprovider 116, if available. If the node is not connected to VoIPprovider 116 or otherwise cannot make the call, it attempts to make thecall directly to the PSTN 114, if available. If it is unable to make thecall through its own available resources (e.g. the VoIP provider and thePSTN), then it adds 226 a set of mesh headers designating the VoIPprovider 116 or the PSTN 114 as the destination in the MeshDst headerand passes 228 the call to a neighboring node.

If the number being called is in the mesh network—that is, the number isan extension 118 connected to an onsite PBX 110 (or a remote PBX 112 ifits onsite PBX is unavailable)—the node adds 230 mesh headersdesignating the onsite PBXs 110 and/or remote PBXs 112 to which thecalled extension 118 is connected as the destination in the MeshDstheader. The node then determines 232 whether the destination containsthe node's hostname. If so, the node 234 accepts and handles the call.Otherwise, the route call loop 236 is used to iterate throughdestination nodes.

If the route call loop 236 failed 238 to send the call to a destination,the node sets 242 the destination in the MeshDst header to a list ofnodes for the called number and sends 244 the call to a neighboringnode. If the node is unable to send the call to a neighboring node, thenode calls 248 a failover number using the connected VoIP provider 116or PSTN 114, if available. If no resources are available on the node tocall the failover number, the node sets 252 the destination header tothe VoIP provider 116 or PSTN 114 and sends it to a neighboring node tomake the call.

As seen in FIG. 12, if mesh headers already exist on the call whenreceived by the node, the node then determines 260 based on the MeshIDheader whether the call has already been processed. If so, then the callis rejected 262. Otherwise, the node decrements 264 the MeshHop headerand “disables direct media,” that is, allows the call audio to followthe same path along the network as the call control packets. Generallycall audio should take the most direct path between nodes and the VoIPprovider 116, but in order to get around a bad connection or avoid aroute known to have packet loss, it may be necessary to route the audiothrough the nodes used to connect the call.

The node then determines 266 whether the MeshDst header contains thenode's hostname, instructions to make the call through VoIP provider 116or PSTN 114, or neither. If MeshDst contains the node's hostname, thenode accepts 268 and handles the call. If MeshDst indicates that thecall is to be directed to the VoIP provider 116 or the PSTN 114, thenode directs 270 the call through the appropriate mechanism, ifavailable. Otherwise, it sends 274 the call to a neighboring node to doso, as long as the MeshHop header is greater than zero. If MeshDstcontains neither the node's hostname nor instructions to direct the calloutside the mesh network, the route call loop 236 is used to iteratethrough destination nodes.

As seen in FIG. 13, the route call loop 236 iterates 280 through eachnode in the MeshDst header. During each iteration, MeshDst is set 282 tothe node being iterated over. MeshHop is incremented 284 if the route tothe node in MeshDst is indirect, and the call is sent 286 to the nodebeing iterated over or the route node. If the call is successfullyprocessed 288, the loop ends 290; otherwise, the loop iterates 280 overthe next node.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 through 18, preferred embodiments of thehybrid cloud PBX can be managed through an Internet website interface,hosted on website 130. Unique to the hybrid cloud PBX, the singlewebsite interface is used to control the configuration of two PBXs at atime: onsite PBX 110 and remote PBX 112, which maintain identicalconfigurations. To be precise, a configuration option is adjusted oncein the website interface, as if a single PBX were being configured, andthe website 130 communicates the configuration option change to bothonsite PBX 110 and remote PBX 112, which implement the change as soon asthey receive it. In some embodiments, for simplicity, the websitecommunicates the configuration directly to one of either onsite PBX 110or remote PBX 112, and the changes are automatically synced to theother. In embodiments having multiple PBXs 110 in a mesh network, therouting database is replicated to all mesh nodes. In an alternativeembodiment, the database is implemented and updated over the network asa blockchain.

The use of website 130 to configure both the onsite PBX 110 and remotePBX 112 allows for an organization's continued cell phone availabilityeven when the organization's ability to operate onsite is curtailed,such as during a major disaster or even a simple LAN outage. Ideally, amobile phone number corresponding to the extension will already havebeen entered into the website 130 before the downtime, and thus bepresent in the database 120. If the cell forward setting were set to“only on down,” the forwarding would automatically take place. However,in some circumstances the field may not have been completed or updatedbefore the downtime. Thus, if the organization's LAN is unavailable,preventing extensions 118 from connecting either to onsite PBX 110 orremote PBX 112, the website 130 may be accessed by an external internetsource, such as a mobile phone, and instructed to forward the calls toeach extension 118 (or to selected extensions 118) to the mobile phonenumber of the user of the extension 118.

As seen in FIG. 14, a navigation tool 300, comprising a menu bar inpreferred embodiments, allows a website 130 user to access the variousfeatures of the website 130 to set up and manage accounts of otherusers, create PBX extensions, delete PBX extensions, configure PBXextensions, configure overall PBX options, access call records includinglistings of calls made and recordings, among other features that may beavailable. Users are identified by user accounts and divided intocategories such as “administrator” and “user.” The features which a usermay access may be limited by the user's category and individualpermission settings in the user's account. For example, generally onlyan administrator may set up new accounts, but a user may be permitted toadjust configuration options on his or her own extension. In someembodiments, a “site administrator” category allows a user to adjustconfiguration options on a particular PBX.

FIG. 15 shows some user interface elements, designated 320, associatedwith the configuration of a single extension 118. Among the variousconfiguration options, field 322 allows for entry of a cell phone numberof the user associated with the extension being configured. Field 324allows for control of when calls to the extension are forwarded to thecell phone number in field 322; options include forwarding calls onlywhen a PBX is down and never forwarding calls to the extension.Preferred embodiments include additional options, among them forwardingcalls that remain unanswered after a specified number of rings, alwaysforwarding calls. Some embodiments support forwarding calls duringcertain times, including during predetermined time frames forforwarding, including after business hours, on weekends, and both afterbusiness hours and on weekends.

FIG. 16 shows user interface elements 340 for setting the addressassociated with direct inward dialing (“DID”) numbers for routingemergency calls. The address is also provided to the emergency operatorreceiving the call.

Shown in FIG. 17 are user interface elements 360 for a user of the“user” (non-administrative) category. Among the interface elementsavailable are elements 362 for viewing and editing general accountinformation, elements 364 for viewing and editing the addresses forrouting emergency calls, and elements 366 for blocking calls fromuser-specified phone numbers.

FIG. 18 shows user interface elements 380 allowing a user of the “user”category to view and edit configuration options for an extension, aswell as to delete the extension. The options available are a subset ofthose available to administrative users, some of which are shown in FIG.15.

While there have been shown what are presently considered to bepreferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can bemade herein without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hybrid PBX, comprising: at least two privatebranch exchanges (PBXs), each PBX having at least one connection to anexternal telephone service provider, each connection selected from thegroup consisting of: a connection to a VoIP provider, and a connectionto a PSTN; one or more extensions, each extension having: a primaryconnection to a PBX of the at least two PBXs, and a secondary connectionto another PBX of the at least two PBXs; and a website operable by auser to configure the at least two PBXs as a single system, wherein theat least two PBXs are operative to route calls to and from the one ormore extensions.
 2. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising a mesh network wherein the at least two PBXs operate as nodesin the mesh network.
 3. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 2, whereinmesh headers are used to route calls to and from the one or moreextensions.
 4. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 3, wherein SIP headersare used to implement the mesh headers.
 5. The hybrid PBX as recited inclaim 3, wherein a PBX acting as a node attempts to route a callarriving for a number outside the mesh network through a connection ofthe at least one connection to an external telephone service provider.6. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 5, wherein the PBX adds meshheaders to the call arriving for a number outside the mesh network androutes the call to a neighboring node when it is unable to route thecall to a connection of the at least one connection to an externaltelephone service provider.
 7. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 3,wherein a PBX acting as a node adds or updates mesh headers for a callarriving for a number inside the mesh network, wherein the PBX routesthe call to an extension of the one or more extensions if the PBX is thedestination node, and wherein the PBX routes the call to the destinationnode if the PBX is not the destination node.
 8. The hybrid PBX asrecited in claim 1, wherein each PBX further comprises a database. 9.The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 8, wherein the databases of the PBXsare synchronized between the PBXs.
 10. The hybrid PBX as recited inclaim 9, wherein the at least two PBXs are configured to route callsfrom an extension of the one or more extensions through the secondaryconnection of the extension when the PBX associated with the primaryconnection of the extension is inoperative.
 11. A hybrid PBX,comprising: a first onsite private branch exchange (PBX) at a firstlocation, having a connection to an external telephone provider; asecond onsite PBX at a second location, having a connection to anexternal telephone provider; a plurality of first onsite PBX extensions,each extension of the first onsite PBX extensions having a primaryconnection to the first onsite PBX and a secondary connection to thesecond onsite PBX; and a plurality of second onsite PBX extensions, eachextension of the second onsite PBX extensions having a primaryconnection to the second onsite PBX and a secondary connection to thefirst onsite PBX, wherein the second onsite PBX is operative tofacilitate calls made and received by the first onsite PBX extensionswhen the first onsite PBX is inoperative, and wherein the first onsitePBX is operative to facilitate calls made and received by the secondonsite PBX extensions when the second onsite PBX is inoperative.
 12. Thehybrid PBX as recited in claim 11, wherein the connection to an externaltelephone provider of the first onsite PBX comprises a connection to avoice over Internet protocol (VoIP) provider.
 13. The hybrid PBX asrecited in claim 12, wherein the first onsite PBX comprises a secondconnection to an external telephone provider, comprising a connection toa public switched telephone network (PTSN).
 14. The hybrid PBX asrecited in claim 13, wherein the first onsite PBX further comprises atleast three inbound call flows, comprising a normal call flow, ano-internet call flow, and an first-onsite-PBX-offline call flow,wherein the normal call flow routes calls via the VoIP provider throughthe first onsite PBX to an extension of the one or more first onsiteextensions, the no-internet call flow routes calls via the VoIP throughthe second onsite PBX and the PTSN to an extension of the one or moreextensions, and the first-onsite-PBX-offline call flow routes calls viathe VoIP through the second onsite PBX to an extension of the one ormore extensions.
 15. The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 11, wherein thefirst and second onsite PBXs each comprise a database, wherein thedatabases are synchronized between the first and second onsite PBXs. 16.The hybrid PBX as recited in claim 11, further comprising one or moreadditional onsite PBXs in additional locations, each additional onsitePBX having one or more extensions, and wherein each PBX of the firstonsite PBX, second onsite PBX, and additional onsite PBXs is operable tofacilitate calls made and received by extensions of one or more otherPBXs of the first onsite PBX, second onsite PBX, and additional onsitePBXs when the one or more other PBXs is inoperative.
 17. A hybrid PBXcomprising: a plurality of private branch exchanges (PBXs), each PBXcomprising: a connection to an external telephone service provider, andone or more extensions, wherein each extension of the one or moreextensions comprises a primary connection to a PBX of the plurality ofPBXs and one or more secondary connections, each secondary connection toa separate PBX of the plurality of PBXs, and wherein each PBX of theplurality of PBXs is operative to facilitate calls made and received byextensions having a secondary connection to the PBX when the PBX of theprimary connection of the extension is inoperative.
 18. The hybrid PBXof claim 17, further comprising a website operative to configure theplurality of PBXs as a single system.
 19. The hybrid PBX of claim 18,wherein each PBX of the plurality of PBXs is connected to a cloudplatform to receive configuration changes from the website.
 20. Thehybrid PBX of claim 17, wherein each PBX of the plurality of PBXscomprises at least three inbound call flows, comprising a normal callflow, a no-internet call flow, and an onsite-PBX-offline call flow,wherein the normal call flow routes calls via a voice over Internetprotocol (VoIP) provider through the PBX to an extension of the one ormore extensions, the no-internet call flow routes calls via the VoIPthrough another PBX of the plurality of PBXs and a public switchedtelephone network (PTSN) to an extension of the one or more extensions,and the onsite-PBX-offline call flow routes calls via the VoIP throughthe other PBX to an extension of the one or more extensions.